Many mobile stations are able to communicate using multiple air interface protocols. For example, a multi-mode mobile station may be able to communicate using a first air interface protocol and a second air interface protocol. The first air interface protocol could be a high data rate protocol, such as EVDO, which the multi-mode mobile station may use for 3G wireless service. The second air interface protocol could be a legacy protocol, such as 1×RTT CDMA, which the multi-mode mobile station may use in areas where 3G service is unavailable.
By being able to use multiple air interface protocols, a multi-mode mobile station may be able to provide improved service to the user. However, the support of multiple air interface air interface protocols can also cause difficulties. For example, a multi-mode mobile station might be paged using any of the air interface protocols that it supports. In order to save battery life, a multi-mode mobile station may listen for page messages in accordance with a schedule, such as a slot cycle index, for each air interface protocol that it supports. Thus, a multi-mode mobile station may listen for page messages that use a first air interface protocol in accordance with a first schedule and may list for page messages that use a second air interface protocol in accordance with a second schedule.
However, the first and second schedules may conflict. For example, the first and second air interface protocols may be used to transmit page messages to the multi-mode mobile station at about the same time. When that occurs, the multi-mode mobile station might receive only one of the page messages (e.g., the page message transmitted via the second air interface protocol) and miss the other page message (e.g., the page message transmitted via the first air interface protocol). Accordingly, there is a need to better coordinate the use of multiple air interface protocols in the transmission of page messages to multi-mode mobile stations.